World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) Posts Earnings Results, Misses Expectations By $0.77 EPS

World Acceptance (NASDAQ:WRLD) posted its earnings results on Tuesday. The credit services provider reported ($0.19) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.58 by ($0.77), Zacks reports. World Acceptance had a return on equity of 13.65% and a net margin of 10.00%.

World Acceptance Trading Down 8.9%

NASDAQ:WRLD opened at $126.73 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 24.16 and a current ratio of 24.16. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $145.25 and its 200-day moving average is $156.56. World Acceptance has a 52 week low of $104.99 and a 52 week high of $185.48. The firm has a market cap of $638.72 million, a P/E ratio of 12.08 and a beta of 1.12.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently issued reports on WRLD. Zacks Research raised World Acceptance from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of World Acceptance in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating, According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold”.

Insider Transactions at World Acceptance

In other news, insider Daniel Clinton Dyer sold 8,857 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.00, for a total value of $1,319,693.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 33,640 shares in the company, valued at $5,012,360. This trade represents a 20.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider John L. Calmes, Jr. sold 1,000 shares of World Acceptance stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.21, for a total transaction of $149,210.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 54,395 shares in the company, valued at $8,116,277.95. This represents a 1.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 9,946 shares of company stock worth $1,482,253 in the last three months. Insiders own 41.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On World Acceptance

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WRLD. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC increased its stake in World Acceptance by 9.0% in the third quarter. Bridgeway Capital Management LLC now owns 63,120 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $10,676,000 after acquiring an additional 5,192 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in World Acceptance by 51.1% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 41,380 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $6,833,000 after acquiring an additional 13,999 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of World Acceptance by 66.4% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 29,602 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $5,007,000 after purchasing an additional 11,809 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its stake in shares of World Acceptance by 16.7% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 28,651 shares of the credit services provider’s stock valued at $4,731,000 after acquiring an additional 4,092 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its holdings in World Acceptance by 23.0% in the 2nd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 26,865 shares of the credit services provider’s stock worth $4,436,000 after buying an additional 5,025 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.63% of the company’s stock.

About World Acceptance

World Acceptance Corporation (NASDAQ: WRLD) is a consumer finance company headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Founded in 1972, the company provides credit solutions to underserved customers who may have limited access to traditional banking services. Over the decades, World Acceptance has built a reputation for tailored lending that emphasizes responsible underwriting and personalized customer service.

The company’s core product offerings include short-term installment loans designed to meet the immediate financial needs of its clients.